Locking device for rotatable members



Dec. 6, 1932. F. 'w. EDWARDS 1,890,030

LO CKING DEV ICE FOR ROTATABLE MEMBERS Filed Oct. 6. 1930 Patented Dec. 6, 1932 UNITED STATES FRANK W. EDWARDS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE OHIO INJECTOR PATENT OFFICE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS LOCKING DEVICE FOR. ROTATABLE MEMBERS Application filed October 6, 1930. Serial No. 486,883.

This invention relates to a locking device or rotation-arresting means for rotatable members, such, for example, as the filler-caps of lubricator oil bowls, in which connection it will be hereinafter particularly described.

The oil bowls of lubricators, such as are used upon locomotives and other machines subjected to vibration, have their filling openings provided with closure caps or filler caps which are ordinarily screwthreaded into the openings so that they may be securely fixed in place after the oil bowl has been filled. But, it has been found that, even when a filler cap is thus securely attached, the vibration of the machine to which the lubricator is applied will result in the loosening and unscrewing of the cap and its displacement from the filling opening, thus sometimes resulting in loss of lubricant, loss of the filler cap, and exposure of the interior of the oil bowl and he lubricant therein to dirt, dust and other deleterious foreign matter.

The object of this invention is to provide means whereby when the filler cap is secured in place, it will not be possible for it to rotate or unscrew to such an extent that it may become displaced from the filling opening and lost, these means being such that they will operate substantially automatically and not require any special attention.

The invention consists in looking or rotation-arresting means for rotatable members, such, for example, as filler caps, comprising a member carried by the rotatable member and swingable laterally thereof under the influence of gravity to a position in which it may foul against some adjacent protruding part and thus arrest rotation of the member and lock it to the body to which it is applied, thus preventing displacement and loss of the member, as will be hereinafter more particularly explained and finally claimed.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating the invention, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1 is an end elevation of a conventional form of lubricator having a filler cap provided with the device of the invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail side elevation of the filler cap removed and illustrating the manner of applying the locking or rotation-arresting device thereto. Fig. 4 is an axial sectional view of the filler cap. Fig. 5 is an axial sectional view of the cap taken in a plane at right angles to that of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but illustrating a modification. i

The oil bowl 1 of the lubricator has in its top 2 a hollow neck 3 providing a. filling opening closed by the filler cap 4, which latter is also herein referred to generically as avrotatable member. In the form shown, the cap 4 is provided with a screwthreaded extension 5 adapted to cooperate with the complementally screwthreaded interior of the filling opening neck 3, whereby the cap may be secured firmly in the opening. The cap is provided also with a flange 6 adapted to seat upon the upper edge of the neck 3, and with a hexagonal or other. shaped extension 7 whereby the cap may be applied or removed by means of a wrench.

The top of the cap 4 is provided with a boss, either integral as shown at 8 in Figs. 4 and 5, or as a separate screwthreaded or otherwise rigidly applied member 9, as shown in Fig. 6, and this boss is formed with a transverse bore 10 in which is hinged or pivoted or swingingly mounted the locking device proper. This locking device is in the form or" a relatively rigid rod bent to L shape, as shown in Fig. 3 with one end passed through the bore 10 and then bent to U shape to provide two outwardly extending legs 11 capable of a swinging movement under the influence oi gravity from the position shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 to approximately that shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In other words, with the legs 11 of the the locking device may be permitted to drop and its legs 11 will, by gravity, assume a position wherein they extend laterally of the cap 4 and probably bear against the top 2 of the oil bowl.

Lubricator oil bowls generally have upon their upper surfaces some projections. In the instance shown, a casing 12, which houses some adjusting mechanism, projects out of the plane of the top 2 of the oil bowl.

Obviously, if, from vibration or other cause, the cap 4 should start to unscrew, the legs 11 would encounter or foul against this projection 12 and would arrest the unscrewing'movement of the cap.

It will thus be seen that'the U-shapedlocking device operates substantially automatically. It requires no setting or adjustment by the attendant, and solong as it ispermitted to drop into. its laterally extending positi'omwhichit will do as a matter of course, it will function to arrest rotation of the cap, as desired. Moreover, in order to release the device 'so'that the cap may be unscrewed, it is only necessary to raise the legs l1 to substantially the position shown in Figs. 4:, 5 and 6 relatively axially of the cap.

Although the locking device is shown as of U shape, and this is a preferred and convenient form both from a manufacturing and assembling standpoint and from'a standpointof low cost, it is to be understood that it may take a variety ofshapes,so long as it is hinged- 1y or 'swingingly carried by the rotatable member and may assume a position relatively thereto such that it may foul against some relatively fixed projection to arrest rotation of tjhe member and thus lock it in position.

If desired, the usual breather port'13 may be provided in the cap 4, this port communicating with atmosphere through the transverse bore 10. I

Various changes and modifications are deemedto be within'thespirit of'the invention a'nd'the scope of the following claims.

;What I claim is 1 1. A locking device for rotatable members, comprising a substantiallyU-'shaped gravity responsive member pivotally connected to "sai'd 'rotatable member and s'wingab'leto a position laterally thereof and adapted to foul against somepart adjacent to the rotatable member to arrest rotation of the rotatablemember.

2. A locking device-for the rotatable filler ca'p'of an oil reservoir, "comprising a'swing- 'able'cmember carried'by'the cap and gravity influenced to assumean angular position relative to the axis of rotation of the cap, and o'flstanding laterally from the cap, said member'when in this position adapted to foul against some projecting part of the reservoir 'to arrest rotation of the cap.

cap of an oil reservoir, 'comprising'a' swinga'ble member carried bythe cap and gravity pivotally connected with'said 1 and having its pivot arranged substantially normal some projecting part of the reservoir to arrest rotation of the cap and said member capable of being positioned substantially in line with the axis of rotation of the cap whereby the cap may be rotated for application toor removal fronrthe reservoir.

,4. A-locking device-for rotatable members, comprising, in combination with an offstanding boss on the member, a relatively rigid rod to the axis of rotation of said member, said 'rod adapted normally'to extend laterally of the rotatable member and to foul against some adjacent projection to arrest rotation of the member. r

5.. A locking device for-rotatable members, comprising,in combination with an ofistanding boss on'the member, a relatively rigid rod passing through said bossand pivot-ally com nected therewith and'adapted normally to gravitate to1a position laterally of themtatable member andto foul against some-adjacent projection to arrest rotation of 1 the member.

6. A locking device for'rotatable members, comprising, in combination-with an ofistanding boss on the member, a relatively rigid rod passing through said boss and bent to .U shape and thus pivotally connected therewith and adapted normally to gravitate to a position laterally of the rotatable member and to-foul against some-adjacent projection to arrest rotation of the member.

7. Alocking device for the rotatable cap of a lubricatoroil bowl, including in combination with said cap and a projection on said bowl,- a member hinged to said boss and gravity o erated toassume a,pos ition wherein it Will 0111 against said projection upon the occurrence of undesired rotation of said cap to arrest suehrotation. I I

In testimonywhereo f I have hereunto set handthis 3rd day ofOctober, A. D. 1 930.

" FRANK W. EDWARDS.

*3; A locking device for the rotatable filler v influenced to assume an-angularposition' relative to the axis of rotation of the cap and offstandin laterally from thecap, said member when in this position adapted to foula'gamst 

